South Korean shares rise as chipmakers track US peers, set to end week lower

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

21/08/2026 03:30

KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
     
** South Korean shares rose on Friday, as chipmakers tracked overnight gains in U.S. peers, but were still set to end the week lower. 
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 46.26 points, or 0.68%, at 6,898.84 as of 0214 GMT. 
** The index has fallen 1% so far this week. 
** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 3.14% and peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 3.67%, leading the benchmark higher, after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index .SOX rose 0.5% on Thursday. 
** Samsung Electronics plans to hold a board meeting later in the day to discuss a new shareholder return package.
** South Korea's finance minister said authorities would pre-emptively assess risk factors in financial, foreign exchange, bond and housing markets and respond in a timely manner. 
** The new deputy chief of the Bank of Korea said that monetary policy decisions would be made 'very carefully' and flexibly if needed, taking into account various policy factors including the side effects of rate hikes.
** Among other index heavyweights, battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS slid 3.91%, while Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were down 1.44% and down 0.69%, respectively. 
** Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS shed 4.51%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS fell 2.60%.
** Of the total 903 traded issues, only 99 shares advanced, while 791 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 296.6 billion won ($214.83 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,382.7 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.96% higher than its previous close at 1,396.0.
** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.06 point to 103.16.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 2.4 basis points to 3.846%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 3.2 basis points to 4.366%.
     
($1 = 1,380.6000 won)

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))